Phoenix House Florida’s Kim Greene Earns Prestigious Certification

Wednesday, August 6th, 2014

During her 25 years of service, Kim has never ceased in her quest for knowledge. This year, she achieved one of the highest credentials in her profession: Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN). CARN certification requires a high level of expertise and commitment in providing quality nursing care for the treatment of addiction. This certification has only been awarded to 600 nurses nationally by the International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA), a professional specialty organization for nurses committed to the prevention, intervention, treatment, and management of addiction disorders.

Kim says, “Professional performance requires constant pursuit of knowledge and developing competencies that reflect current nursing practice.” In the scope and standards of nursing practice, Kim truly stands at the top.

This year marks Kim Greene’s 25th anniversary of dedication to the medical field. A native of the Midwest, Kim attended Idaho State University, where she obtained both her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and her Master’s degree in Nursing, with a focus on Administration. From there it was a short climb to success. Kim has held a variety of nursing jobs, with more than a decade of bedside experience. She taught nursing in Missouri and has worked as a hospice nurse in Florida.

“My first love is chemical dependency nursing,” Kim says. “Though technology has changed, nursing is still all about the person, making the connection, care, and empathy.” Since being certified as a nurse in 1989, Kim has almost exclusively worked in the specialty of psychiatric/chemical dependency nursing. Kim started as a staff nurse in Idaho, and was director of nursing in a psychiatric/substance abuse hospital in Texas. In order to be close to family, she made her way to Florida, where she became a nursing manager at a methadone clinic. In September 2012, she joined Phoenix House Florida as utilization manager at Brandon Outpatient Center.

As utilization manager, Kim is responsible for obtaining insurance authorization for clients and monitoring their use of services. She oversees clients on Medicaid as well as those on a variety of insurance plans. Part of her responsibility is the accurate analysis of client needs and communicating with their healthcare providers. An integral part of the client admission process, Kim partners with Brandon’s practice manager to obtain accurate and complete information. Phoenix House congratulates Kim on attaining this prestigious certification!

Phoenix House Florida provides substance abuse rehabilitation for adolescents at the Derek Jeter Center in Tampa and at the Brandon Outpatient Center. Adults also receive outpatient counseling at the Tampa and Brandon facilities. Our newest program, at The Centre for Women at Hyde Park, provides gender-specific care to women. Phoenix House Citra Center provides residential treatment for men and women whose substance abuse is advanced or complicated by mental health issues. Annually, our highly skilled professional staff serves more than 1,000 men, women, and teens, safeguarding youth, strengthening families, and helping to build happier, healthier lives.

If you know someone who is struggling with alcohol or drug problems, call Phoenix House today at 1 888 671 9392. We’re here to help!